The SBC’s New Castle and the Wall

It’s been 31 years since Joel Gregory’s famous “The Castle and the Wall” sermon at the 1988 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). As the illustration goes, Lord Londonderry owned a castle in Ireland with fine stones that the local villagers began pilfering in order to rebuild broken roads and buildings. Prior to an extended trip, Londonderry gave orders to his agent to enclose the castle with a well-coped wall, six-feet in height.

Londonderry arrived several years later to find his castle had disappeared. In its place was a large wall enclosing nothing. Londonderry sent for his agent to learn the mystery of his missing castle. The agent shared that he had used the castle’s stones to build the wall.

Gregory’s point was obvious. What good is constructing a wall if you destroy that which the wall was intended to protect?

The SBC’s sexual abuse scandal is the new “castle and the wall” moment. There is division about how to handle the crisis, and the growing concern is that the Executive Committee (EC) is putting its efforts into defending the wall rather than caring for the castle, or more importantly, some of the castle’s residents.

At the recent February EC meeting, SBC President J.D. Greear gave an address that was overwhelmingly accepted by the Executive Committee and the meeting’s guests, evidenced by a standing ovation. This address included 10 calls to action on sexual abuse, followed by a call for inquiry into nine SBC churches listed in an investigative series by the Houston Chronicle.

Resultantly, an EC workgroup published a report five days after the address that cleared six of the nine churches. A common critique has been that the report was too hasty, the provisions too broad, and the workgroup not equipped or authoritative enough to render the report’s conclusions.

For many, the conclusions present the EC, and by extension the SBC, as more focused on defending its own reputation than caring for the sexual abuse victims among its membership; that it is more concerned with the wall than it is the castle residents.

We need to tear down the wall. The people trying to get back into the castle, in this case, the victims of sexual abuse, aren’t the enemy. They are precious citizens, on the wrong side of the wall for no reason of their own.

We can tear down the wall, first, by remembering that the safety of the victims is more important than the reputation of the Convention, second, by humbly coming out from behind the wall to repent for inaction, like we did in 1995 regarding the sin of racism and third, by the EC leaning on the President’s Sexual Abuse Advisory Group (SAAG) to provide guidance for how victims and advocates can have a voice in the inquiry and report of sexual abuse in the church. This will allow sexual abuse survivors to speak directly into the process and can help show that the residents of the castle are more important than the wall around it, and, dare I say, the castle itself.

The Convention exists not for itself, but to empower its residents so they can invite people into God’s Kingdom.

As it stands now, these castle tenants are struggling to see why they should remain in the castle. Several have reached out to share their thoughts regarding the events of the past week. One says, “… this has pushed me to the point that I don’t think I will ever attend a Southern Baptist Church again.” Another feels that the EC cares more about the image of the SBC than about actual human beings who are harmed by abuse. And another said that it should not be this difficult for victims to be heard.

Many would argue after the Conservative Resurgence that the Convention was able to have the castle and build the wall. Now is the time to fight to meet the needs of our own residents, otherwise we’ll have a resilient wall, and maybe some version of the castle, but it’ll be empty, and an empty castle is just a museum.

As members of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in history, we should look to Jesus, who made Himself vulnerable by taking on the likeness of humanity and becoming obedient to the point of death. By humbling Himself on the cross, Jesus tore down the wall between God and man and the result is the chance for residence in His Kingdom. It’s a template worth following for a collection of thousands of churches who joined the Convention to expand that very Kingdom.

This EC member says, tear down the wall, so our own citizens can enter the castle. We can do this with the tools of transparency, vulnerability, and humility. The castle and the Kingdom will be stronger for it.

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One EC member not satisfied with business as usual. Glad to see it and it is unusual to see such public dissent. The illustration is way overbaked, IMO (I was present when Gregory, stentorian voice the equal of Adrian’s, told this) but the point is made.

Also glad Wellman doesn’t propose solutions other than generalities. Wise to wait for the abuse workgroup/council.

March 2, 2019 1:19 pm

Jon

The Wade Burleson Wall of Trustee Silence. Won’t be sorry to see that go, actually.

My amen is to Jared, not the Plodder, though I generally can find common ground with him.

March 2, 2019 1:42 pm

Bonnie Jacobs

Your words are comfort to my soul. Thank-you for posting this. I feel a glimmer of hope for the SBC.

March 2, 2019 1:21 pm

Scott

Thankfully, neither a church or the church universal is a structure of interchangabele building materials bound by mortar. We are a living body with Christ as our head. Though we have increasingly treated our members interchangeably for some time, we function best when each member serves a unique role under the direction of the Head and held together by the Spirit.

It seems that the Bible teaches that all the essential gifts are present in each gathering of belivers that we call the local church. I don’t think its a far stretch to say that each true church is Biblically autonomous with the Spiritual ability to function independently and make wise decisions about it’s own affairs. I do believe that we should use all available means to ensure the safety of the vulnerable amongst us, but we should never say that the failure to use those means is the primary issue when something goes wrong.

It seems to me that a church that’s functioning as a body should be able to function with a convicted pedophile, a convicted embezzler, and a former cult leader without dacrificing the safety of children, financial stewardship, or the commitment of the church to sound doctrine. But we’ve become accustomed to the mentality that our organizations are made of interchangeable stones to be moved around at the discretion of an earthly master. Our assemblies are full of seemly parts or unseemly parts that have been made to serve a seemly role.

The Houston Chronicle article is just a glimpse of a much larger spiritual sickness in our churches. Rather than a building inspector or a general contractor concerned with the inspection or correct placement of rocks, we need physicians skilled in diagnosing, treating and nurturing the ill. This is a time for the mouth to be silent as the ear listens to the grumbling of the unseemly parts and focus all the senses on on the symptoms that are being manifest by the immune system.

Those who have been hurt aren’t just another brick in the wall. Each one has been harmed in a manner and should be treated as such.

I am currently serving a church that covered up for a convicted sex offender for multiple years. When the congregation learned of this egregious lack of leadership it torn this assembly apart. I affirm a posture of transparency and fidelity to thewordof God. The OT called for the death penalty for three offenses; murder, kidnapping, and rape. This displays God’s perspective on such matters. We MUST not capitulate on this issue.

March 2, 2019 8:00 pm

Debbie Kaufman

Jarrod Wellman was the first member of EC I read to speak out against the decision. Thank you for this powerful post.

Sis Debbi, not that it matters a great deal, but, Rolland Slade was the first EC committee member that I read a tweet speaking out against the EC’s decision to fortify the wall, at the expense of the castle. But, I’m relying on a 62 yr old memory. I could be wrong. Grateful that both men are speaking out, and prioritizing the victims needs and concerns, over the reputation of the SBC.

March 3, 2019 5:40 am

Fred Shellnut

Prayer for the spiritual grace of humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Make my heart like yours.
From self-will, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire to be understood, deliver me, O Lord.
From the desire to be visited, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being abandoned, deliver me, O Lord.
From the fear of being refused, deliver me, O Lord.
That others may be loved more than I, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Lord,
grant me the grace to desire it.
At being unknown and poor, Lord, I want to rejoice.
At being deprived of the natural perfections of body and mind, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When people do not think of me, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they assign to me the meanest tasks, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they do not even deign to make use of me,
Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they never ask my opinion, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they leave me at the lowest place, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they never compliment me, Lord, I want to rejoice.
When they blame me in season and out of season, Lord, I want to rejoice. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val.
Having retired from the public business of the Church, the former Secretary of State of Saint Pius X

What a reasoned and reasonable word, fitly spoken, to bring healing, hope, correction & concord, to our Southern Baptist Zion. Thanks Jared for the courage, competence, character & conviction to communicate the timely truth on multiple fronts that the castle is more important than the wall. Both are needed, but as a matter of priority, the castle trumps the wall. I trust the entire EC will embrace your mindset, so that the health, healing and wholeness needed at this hour, will happen and soon. Proud and grateful that you are pastoring the church, that gave birth to the church I’m privileged to serve as pastor.

March 3, 2019 5:31 am

Chief Katie

I keep praying for the SBC. It seems that God has other things he wants the SBC to do. Clean up the preaching.